Tessa Souter ....

Born in England, the daughter of Trinidadian and English parents, award-winning New York-based vocalist, composer and lyricist, Tessa Souter, imbues a mix of jazz and stunning originals with the soul and passion of flamenco, Indian and Middle Eastern music.

Her “truly beautiful voice” (Sirius Radio) and penchant for exploring strikingly beautiful music mostly untouched by other singers has set her apart as “one of the finest and most fearless vocalists to have emerged in recent years.” (Boston Globe) Over her four-CD career, from 2004’s Flamenco-tinged Listen Love to 2013’s, Beyond the Blue (for the multi-Grammy-nominated Motéma label) – which features jazz interpretations of classical repertoire with her own “exhilaratingly mature lyrics.” (Neil Tesser, Chicago Examiner), and which was Number 6 on the Sunday Times’ Top 10 Best Jazz Releases of 2013 – Tessa’s repertoire ranges from her own originals to Brazilian and American standards, to jazz versions of 70s pop, to contemporary jazz tunes by Wayne Shorter and Freddie Hubbard.

A Downbeat Critics Poll “Rising Star” two years in a row, Souter (Soo-ter) has gained a reputation as “one of the finest and most fearless vocalists to have emerged in recent years.” (Boston Globe). The Los Angeles Times calls her “one of the few exceptional standouts in the crowded field of female jazz singers.” 

Whether performing at the Philharmonic halls of Russia – four sell-out national tours – or in the intimacy of a New York jazz club, she mesmerizes audiences with her emotional connectedness, rare wit, and a disarming personality that is at once sharply intelligent, warm and authentic. “She’s a very giving person,” Sheila Jordan told the Boston Globe. “And that’s what she does with her music. She gives it.”